Package will hurt, say farmers

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33514, 20 April 1974, Page 1

Package will hurt, say farmers

The Government’s new stabilisation measures, with the “colossal” increases in fuel prices, meant that farmers would again suffer an important reduction in incomes, the national president of Federated Farmers (Mr W. N. Dunlop) said in Christchurch yesterday.

” “This makes a total of | 20 per cent in general wage orders announced in approximately 12 months,” Mr Dunlop said. “The Government’s decision will bear particularly heavily on the export industries.” ! The chairman of the Dairy! Board (Mr A. L. Friis) said j in Wellington yesterday that! farmers would have feelings, iof dismay and injustice, re-! Sports the” Press Association., The package of wage and, price restraints was an-! | nounced by the Deputy Prime Minister (Mr Watt) yester'day. Continued inflation would! be disastrous, as dairy pro-: ducers were already suffering; large rises in costs. Manufacturers, said Mrl Friis, could recover high! :costs from local sales, but! the farmer had to meet l

i higher costs from his own I income. The Acting Leader of the /Opposition (Mr Muldoon) said that inflation had got out of control, and that the 9 per cent general wage order indicated an accelerating rate of inflation. He deplored the absence of a curb on Government spending, and said it was an open ■invitation to the unions to; negotiate for higher wages.: The president of the Manufacturers’ Federation (Mr J. :D. Bull) said that the package! !would severely restrain “pro-! I fitability of industry,” which! for some firms, was uncom-| fortably low. But the package was! :simple to understand and ad-; minister, and was more; :soundly based than the com-; !plicated temporary scheme it, replaced. j It was more equitable, as it! I applied the same restraints Ito all businesses, said Mr 'Bull. I